When most people think of running or even hear it, their typical reaction is: "Ew. Why would I want to do that?" This may come as a surprise, but there is a small group of people who actually enjoy running and would think, "Cool. I could go for a run." Running can be challenging at times, and yes, it means that you will have to actually work out, but there are more than just health benefits to it. Personally, I love to run. Yes, I said it. I love to run. It's not a phrase that many people hear often, and I have gotten weird looks because of it, but it's true. At first, I used to run just to stay active and in shape, but now running has evolved into more than just a workout.

Have you ever had those days or even weeks when you feel so overwhelmed or so frustrated that you could pull the hairs out of your head? I know that I certainly have. Whether it's from my personal life or school work or extracurricular activities, life can become full of so many different things that I begin to stress out and don't feel as if you have time for myself anymore. But I have learned that it's important to set aside time for myself, even if it is for just 15 minutes. And in those 15 minutes, I run. Running is a time when you will be by yourself and it will be very quiet. For me, it's a time to reflect and just be. The continual motion of swinging my arms back and forth and trying to put one foot in front of the other is relaxing. It's not something that I have to think about, it's a natural movement that allows me to clear my head and bring clarity to what is really important and matters in the end. It helps me de-stress about the little things that I tend to get wrapped up in.

Of course, there are those days where I feel too exhausted to even think about running, much less put on my running clothes. It's irritating and dreadful trying to convince yourself to go on a run because you know it will make you feel better and you will feel guilty if you don't go. But once you finally persuade yourself to get out there and you get past the first five minutes of the run, it seems silly that you were dreading it in the first place. You feel happier and focus on better things rather than how tired and irritated you are from your day.

Running not only relieves stress and makes you happier, but it keeps you patient. First starting out running when it is not a typical activity can be challenging, mentally and physically. I remember when I first started running, I could not run the whole way. It was discouraging and it was hard to get myself out there the next day. I learned how to be patient with it and kept pushing myself to run longer distances without walking each time. Patience is important to the soul. It helps us in everyday life whether it is from interacting with others or nothing goes as we had planned.

So if you are one of those people who thinks running is gross and is just a workout, I hope you rethought your opinion. I hope you will start running not just for the health benefits but also the mental ones. You will find that if you start to run regularly, you will be happier, calmer and proud that you are helping yourself become a better you.